The present invention broadly relates to conveying apparatuses of the general type used for automatically conveying work pieces through a series of work stations including treating stations so as to perform a preselected treatment of the work pieces. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an improved work rack mounted on a supporting member which is transportable by any one of a variety of conveying devices through a series of treating stations whereby the work pieces thereon are subjected to a sequential chemical, electro-chemical, electroplating, or the like process.
A variety of work racks have heretofore been used or proposed for use in supporting individual or a plurality of work pieces to facilitate their handling and transport through the processing sequence. It has heretofore been conventional practice to manually load the work pieces on the work rack at a load station and to subsequently manually unload the treated work pieces at an unload station at the completion of the treating process. The manual loading and unloading operation is usually labor intensive, time consuming and detracts from the overall efficiency of the treating process. In some instances, the heavy weight of the individual work pieces further complicates the manual loading and unloading operation.
Additional problems associated with work rack designs of the types heretofore known has been their relatively rigid structure such that the work pieces are retained in a fixed position thereon throughout their transport through the several work stations. In the case of certain tubular and cup-shaped work pieces, it is desirable to support such work pieces at a position inclined from the horizontal to facilitate drainage of treating solutions from the interior thereof after they are withdrawn from the treating solution to minimize solution drag-out and contamination of the treating solutions. In the case of cup-shaped work pieces or work pieces of a hollow configuration having a closed end, it is further desirable to orient such work pieces with the open end disposed upwardly while immersed in a liquid treating solution to facilitate liquid contact with the interior surfaces thereof and to further permit escape of air and gaseous reaction products that may form during the treatment. Work racks of the various types heretofore known have been deficient in their design to facilitate an automatic loading and unloading of work pieces therefrom as well as in their ability to support work pieces in a multitude of angularly disposed positions to facilitate treatment and drainage of liquid treating solutions therefrom.
The present invention overcomes the problems and disadvantages associated with prior art work rack constructions by providing a simple, durable and versatile construction which is readily adaptable for automatic loading and unloading of work pieces therefrom and which also is tiltable to angularly position the work pieces in a multitide of angular positions at various stages of the treating cycle facilitating efficient treatment of the surfaces thereof as well as drainage of the treating solutions therefrom.